


Close Encounter

by ShadeOfAzmeinya



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Gen, Mermaid Lindsay, Mermaid Michael, mermaid au, very general
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 05:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20129926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadeOfAzmeinya/pseuds/ShadeOfAzmeinya
Summary: Jeremy isn’t sure which god he has managed to piss off, but clearly it must be a powerful one to have a day with all the worst luck of his life combined into one.





	Close Encounter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InvadingThoughts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InvadingThoughts/gifts).

> written for the RT writing community Secret Sunshine. Hope you guys enjoy a very short and sweet mermaid au.

Jeremy isn’t sure which god he has managed to piss off, but clearly it must be a powerful one to have a day with all the worst luck of his life combined into one.

He sits back in the tiny boat he’s managed to become stranded in, a worthless ripped fishing net hanging out on the end, one oar of what is meant to be a pair laying against his leg. The boat rocks with his movements and Jeremy closes his eyes and covers his face as he waits for the nausea to pass. His clothing is damp, sticking to him and sending a shiver down his spine, but he’s hoping the universe will be a little forgiving with this sun shining down on him. Keep the worst of the chill off during the heat of the day. It won’t get rid of the fishy, salty smell, but it’ll be a fucking great start.

The day started like any normal day. Just another day going out to fish, trying to catch enough to sell and maybe eat by the time the sun went down. But nature had another course set for him when the dark clouds rolled through. He realizes too late he hadn’t tried to check for signs of storms and had no time to get back to shore. He could do nothing but bear down and take it, keep desperately afloat. Now he’s left stranded in his boat, not really sure how far from shore he’s gone with his fish net ruined along with any potential profits.

And now. _And fucking now,_ he’s hallucinating. So doing well.

There was a face. He saw it. Or imagined it? He really can’t fucking tell. But there was _something_ poking out of the water a few feet out from him. Something with eyes. Curious, large, bright eyes. With long blonde and pink hair that flowed out around it until it dived back under the water. If Jeremy were fucking sane right now, he’d say it was a human. But no other humans could possibly be around this far into the ocean. Or have been under the water this long without needing to take a breath.

He watches the area where it had been. He looks for a disturbance but there are no signs beyond the gentle waves rocking the boat, ones he knows he should get to work fighting to get back to shore. But he still stares intently, waiting for whatever. While still greatly debating his sanity.

That’s when he hears a splash, coming from behind. He jumps a mile, the noise magnified in the open, vacant space. “Who’s there?” Jeremy bursts out, seeing small waves expanding out, where something once was but has gone under the surface again. Jeremy picks up the paddle, holding it out as if to hit anything that got near. “I swear if this is a fucking shark or something, I’m going to-“

Splatter. Then a thud and the boat rocks, twisting Jeremy’s stomach as he whips around again. The other oar is flopped in front of him. Soaked but intact. A fucking savior that has managed to _jump _into his fucking _boat_ from the ether. Jeremy is slack jawed as he reaches for it, fingers tracing the smooth wood. So this part isn’t a hallucination. You can’t touch hallucinations, right? 

As he stares, baffled, he hears some sort of noise at his side. A gurgle, maybe a giggle. Jeremy clutches both oars to him now as he whips around to find a face staring back at him. Bright, sharp eyes curled up with a smile. Long, blonde hair pooled around, tipped pink on the ends that haloed out over shoulders that just hung out of the water. It continues to make a noise as it stares right at Jeremy.

Jeremy isn’t sure if he screamed. But his throat feels raw as he scrambles away, nearly flipping his lifeboat for the third time of the night. “What the fuck? Who are you?!”

The person -creature? there’s something its eyes just doesn’t seem… right, skin tinted strange- blinks back. It peaks out more above the water, floating as if standing at the beach and not resting in the middle of the fucking ocean. It still grins and Jeremy can see better how sharp the teeth on it are. “Who are you?” it squeaks back, voice high and light.

Jeremy narrows his eyes, shifting his grip on the oar, but keeping it in front of him. Keeping the creature at bay. “I asked you first,” he retorts. “Who -_or what_\- are you?”

“What are you?” the thing chirps back, blinking. 

Jeremy raises an eyebrow, looking curiously at its responses. “A human. Unlike you. At least you don’t fucking seem human. Or real.”

“Real,” the creature repeats, then shifts up and down, mouth stretching across its face. It’s head falls back, chirping. It takes a moment before he registers that it’s laughing. 

Jeremy blinks, jaw opening and closing. “Okay… Do you have a name or something?”

“Name,” it chirps, shifting closer in the water, head tilting curiously.

Jeremy swallows, shifting back in his boat and adjusting his grip on his oar. “Are you asking for my name? I asked for yours!” The creature pauses its swim, not getting any closer, eying him carefully but doesn’t say another word. It just stares. Smiling. “Uhh… My name is Jeremy.”

“Jerrr… Emy,” the creature hums, testing the word. “Jerem… Jeremy.”

“Yeah, Jeremy,” he says. “Can you… only repeat words or something? Can you even understand me?”

The creature laughs again, moving closer, pulling out more of the water. Her hair seems to flow around her shoulders and Jeremy swears it shifts in the light, the pink end almost a red. Like fire sitting on top the foam and sea. But as she comes closer –at least Jeremy assumes a she with the length of her hair, the softness of her lips and cheeks- she doesn’t seem dangerous. Curious. Enticing. And Jeremy gets lost for a moment, staring back.

Then a new splash. Nearby.

Jeremy whirls to face the sound. There’s a flash, a twinkle from the sunlight catching what Jeremy at first thought was a fish jumping somehow from the water. But the scales were large, stretched and elongated in a way he hasn’t seen on any fish near here. It’s there for but a moment before diving underneath. Jeremy swallows, readjusting his grip on his makeshift weapon.

His other friend at his side perks up at it, seeing her out of the corner of his eyes get a gentle smile pulling on her face. There’s some sort of chirping coming out of her, squeaking at the other figure. Jeremy can’t tell if its talking or just making noises. But before he can ask, she’s gone, ducking into the waves as well. Leaving Jeremy alone.

“Wait!” Jeremy calls out, grabbing the side of the boat and bends over the water. “Can you at least tell me where the shore is? Do you know? Help me!” 

He’s met with his broken reflection in the waves, indifferent to his plight. Jeremy sighs, sulking back into his boat. He glances in the sky, trying to figure out where the sun is sitting, where he’s supposed to go from there. It sets in the west, right? Fuck, which way did he sail out? Was it north? South? He just started moving out that morning, planning to stay in sight of land. Like he normally does.

Jeremy lets himself feel hopeless for only a moment before pulling himself together. He has to get back to land somehow. So going off his best memory of where the sun was when he went out, and with both oars in hand, he starts making his way across the water, pushing the little boat as best he can. 

He doesn’t make it far before there’s a bump, causing Jeremy to startle as he felt it from below the boat. The boat rocks from whatever hit it, his grip tightens with white knuckles. But when he looks out, nothing is there and he slowly resettles on the waves.

Jeremy is not cut out for being this long in the open water. Fucking everything is far too terrifying to him today. 

Then another hit and a shove, the boat creaking as it’s moved forward in the water, pushed through the waves. Jeremy gives a manly yelp, yanking his oars in, but the boat continues moving, going further and faster than he was rowing. Jeremy glances behind the boat and spots a pair of long tails, like the glimpse he saw before. One a deep brown, like the earth. The other a bright greenish blue, nearly blending into the ocean waves that broke around it. They move together, slicing through the water in ease, helping the boat move as well.

Jeremy sits back, for a second wanting to shoo them off. But as they push, he realizes it’s in the direction of shore. In the direction of home. These creatures are helping him. He doesn’t know why, but he prays at least this is them actually saving him. And not somehow taking him to better place to kill him. 

They finally stop as Jeremy sees the shore approaching. Blessedly familiar and waiting like nothing has happened. Still a bit away, but well within Jeremy’s reach. Where he should hopefully reach before sundown. 

He whirls around, looking back to see the first creature. She calls, some random chirping noise echoed across the water and Jeremy turns to see her waving. Her arms hold some sort of fins, the same as the cyan tail that shimmered through the water. Her companion glares like he’s trying to kill him with just his eyes, which is the only thing that pokes out above the water. Mixed with the curled, red hair, it only seems to further the mood and intimidation.

Jeremy blinks and waves back to the female, avoiding the ire of the other. She beams, turning to the other and seems to be chirping something. He rolls his eyes, shaking his head before disappearing again in the water. She laughs a moment before joining him. Jeremy watches a few moments more, until the waves settle and it seems like nothing had ever been there at all. 

Jeremy swallows, running a hand through his hair before turning back to the shore. Now within reach, the promise of home.

During the paddle, Jeremy can only think of seeing those creatures again. Curiosity fills in after the fear and a new plan for the coming days starts taking over his thoughts. Whatever that was, whatever those are, Jeremy needs to know more.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comments greatly appreciated!!! Thank you for reading. I promise to get back to Solar soon. Say hi on my tumblr or twitter! Both are @ shadeofazmeinya


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